Open letter to France’s leaders on eve of visit by President Yanukovych

Reporters Without Borders addressed an open letter yesterday to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, foreign minister Bernard Kouchner and National Assembly speaker Bernard Accoyer about the “serious violations of media freedom” in Ukraine since Viktor Yanukovych’s election as president in February. It was prompted by the fact that President Yanukovych was due to arrive today in France for two-day visit during which he is to meet with Sarkozy, Kouchner and other senior officials. Reporters Without Borders said in its letter that it had been “surprised by the suddenness and speed of the deterioration in the situation” in Ukraine and felt it had no choice but to conduct a fact-finding visit to the country at the end of July. The letter summarised the conclusions of the follow-up report that Reporters Without Borders released in August: - The Ukrainian media are being subjected to increasing harassment by government officials, politicians and leading businessmen. - The authorities failed to convince Reporters Without Borders that they seriously intend to deal with cases of obstruction or violence against journalists. - Reporters Without Borders received many accounts that attest to a return of censorship, especially in the broadcasting sector. - The fact that the owner of Ukraine’s biggest broadcasting group is at the same time the head of the Ukrainian intelligence services and a member of the judiciary supreme council constitutes a serious conflict of interest. The letter also noted that “journalist Vasyl Klymentyev’s disappearance in suspicious circumstances in August has reinforced our concerns.” Urging the French authorities to convey its concerns and recommendations to President Yanukovych, Reporters Without Borders said “the change of government in Ukraine has raised many questions in France and elsewhere in Europe about the kind of relations that would be possible with a Ukraine that respects fundamental rights less and turns a deaf ear to the appeals of its European neighbours.” An unsuccessful candidate in the 2004 presidential election, Yanukovych won the two-round presidential election held in January and February of this year and took office on 25 February. The report of the fact-finding visit that Reporters Without Borders carried out in Ukraine in July is entitled “Press freedom in Ukraine – the temptation to control.”